Music

Katy Perry acaba de hacer un anuncio sorprendente y es que planea dejar atrás su capítulo con "American Idol".

La icónica cantante estuvo en "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" el lunes por la noche, donde dejó caer la bomba después de 7 años como jueza junto a Lionel Richie y Luke Bryan.

Jimmy dio el pistoletazo de salida al preguntarle si iba a continuar en el programa o no.

Al principio, Katy no respondió tan directamente y dijo que estaba deseando actuar en el festival de música Rock in Río de Brasil este otoño.

Y luego dio la inesperada noticia: "Creo que este será mi último show, mi última temporada para 'Idol'. Me encanta 'Idol', me ha conectado con el corazón del país. Pero siento que necesito salir para sentir ese pulso de mi propio latido".

Muchos en la audiencia sonaban desanimados por la noticia, pero Katy lo manejó como una profesional experimentada con sus sonrisas y su comportamiento optimista, haciendo que todos volvieron a un estado anímico positivo.

Sin embargo, Jimmy parecía un poco sorprendido y presionó a Katy sobre lo que sus compañeros Lionel y Lucas pensaban de su salida.

Katy respondió: "Bueno, ellos se enterarán esta noche", indicando que los dos solo sabían que tenía algunos nuevos proyectos en marcha.

Está programado que la última temporada de "American Idol" comience el 18 de febrero y el programa de competencia de canto, en tanto, ya lleva 22 años en marcha.

Katy Perry just made a stunning announcement ... she's dunzo with "American Idol."

The iconic singer appeared on Monday night's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" dropping the bombshell after 7 years as an 'Idol' judge alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

Jimmy kicked things off, asking Katy point blank if she was going to continue with the show.

At first, Katy didn't answer the question directly, responding that she was looking forward to performing in Brazil's Rock in Rio music festival this fall.

Then she delivered the 'Idol' shocker ...  "I think this will be my last show, my last season for 'Idol.' I love 'Idol' so much, it’s connected me with the heart of America. But I feel like I need to go out to feel that pulse of my own beat."

Many in the audience sounded bummed by the news, but Katy handled it like a seasoned pro with her smiles and upbeat demeanor, turning the mood back to a positive vibe.

Yet, Jimmy seemed a bit startled, pressing Katy on what her fellow judges -- Lionel and Luke -- thought about her exit.

Katy replied, "Well, they'll find out about it tonight," indicating the two were only aware she had some new projects in the works.

Her last season is scheduled to start on February 18 as the singing competition TV series hits the 22-year mark.

Beyoncé's decision to go country -- for at least one album -- is stirring fan excitement, but within country music, perhaps no one's more thrilled about it than CMT host Cody Alan!

The 38-year-old, who also hosts SiriusXM's "Highway Mornings," tells TMZ he's all for the pop/R&B icon opening the Beyhive to a new genre with Super Sunday surprise drop of "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" ... 2 singles on her upcoming "Renaissance Act II" album.

Cody says having someone as big as Beyoncé shine the spotlight on country music is a big deal -- and he's totally embracing it.

A turn to country appears to be a bit of a trend recently as Cody reminds us of the success rapper Jelly Roll has had going back to his country roots -- and while Cody isn't certain Queen Bey's country foray will translate to the masses, he thinks it super cool she's even giving it a go.

Alan also notes that the music biz usually categorizes artists -- but it's a genius move on Beyoncé's end to step out of the box 'cause that's usually where the best music is found.

Kanye West dice que aún no ha sido cancelado por un par de diferentes razones, y también explica por qué no se retracta de algunos de sus dichos antisemitas.

Nos encontramos con Ye en el aeropuerto de Los Ángeles, después de que regresara de las fiestas del Super Bowl en Las Vegas y el tipo habló con nosotros sobre un montón de temas. Luego de que su esperado álbum "Vultures" fuera finalmente lanzado y alcanzara el #1 en iTunes, el artista se puso a indagar sobre cómo sobrevivió a su "cancelación".

Echa un vistazo, Kanye le dice a nuestro fotógrafo que capeó una tormenta el año pasado y salió del otro lado tal vez incluso más exitoso, al menos desde su perspectiva.

Eso es discutible, por supuesto, porque perdió un montón de negocios, por no hablar de cientos de millones de dólares y, sin embargo, piensa que logró sortearlo bastante bien y aquí explica por qué.

Kanye dice que tiene diferentes fuentes de negocios que le han ayudado a seguir siendo popular, incluso a un nivel masivo, y dice que mucho de eso tiene que ver con el hecho de que es increíblemente talentoso, con ideas únicas e interesantes.

Por supuesto, sus devotos fans también adoran su franqueza, algo de lo que Kanye también es consciente. Por eso dice que ha sido capaz de sobrevivir a este intento de derribarlo.

Cita luego su disputa con Adidas y explica por qué estuvo tanto tiempo en Europa el año pasado. Después de todo, era una cuestión más de negocios que de placer.

De todos modos, Kanye dice que el negocio está en auge de nuevo a pesar de los mejores esfuerzos de la industria. Así es como lo ve él.

En esta entrevista se puede ver que está en modo "nosotros contra ellos". Ataca a la industria musical y a los sellos discográficos, afirma que la estructura de streaming no es justa para los artistas y promete hablar de estos temas en nombre de todos los artistas.

Curiosamente, incluso se pone en el mismo barco que su archienemiga, Taylor Swift. Sí, dice su nombre y no de una manera despectiva.

Sobre el tema del antisemitismo ofrece una disculpa no disculpa por algunos de sus discursos de odio, pero cree que otros comentarios estuvieron bien.

También cita una defensa a menudo utilizada en cuanto a por qué no puede ser antisemita.

Míralo tú mismo, pero realmente la única disculpa que ofrece es a los niños judíos que tuvieron que escuchar una "conversación de adultos".

Kanye West says he hasn't been canceled yet for a couple different reasons -- and he also explains why he's not backing down from some of his antisemitic statements.

We got Ye Monday at LAX -- after he'd returned from Super Bowl festivities in Vegas -- and the guy talked to us about a bunch of topics. As his finally released new album "Vultures" hit #1 on iTunes, he marked that success by digging into why he survived his "cancelation."

Check it out ... Kanye tells our photog he weathered the storm last year, and came out the other side perhaps even more successful than ever ... at least in his eyes.

That's debatable, of course, because he lost out on a lot of business deals, not to mention hundreds of millions of dollars. And yet, Kanye thinks he's landed on his feet pretty well ... and he explains why.

Kanye says he's got a few different things in his utility belt that have helped him remain popular, even in a mainstream capacity ... and he says a lot of it has to do with the fact he's incredibly talented with unique, interesting ideas.

Of course, his devoted fans also love that he's outspoken ... something KW's well aware of too. All that is why he says he's been able to survive a modern-day teardown.

He cites his feud with Adidas in making this point, and also lays out why he was in Europe for so long last year. It was actually more business than pleasure after all.

Anyway, Kanye says business is booming for him yet again ... despite the industry's best efforts. That's how he sees it anyway.

You can tell from this interview, he's in full us-versus-them mode right now. He attacks the music industry and record labels, saying the streaming structure isn't fair to artists -- and vows to speak up on these issues on behalf of all artists.

Interestingly, he even puts himself in the same boat as his archenemy, Taylor Swift! Yes, he speaks her name, and not in a disparaging way.

On the subject of antisemitism ... he offers a non-apology apology for some of his hate speech but believes other comments were spot-on.

He also cites an oft-used defense of his as to why he can't be antisemitic.

Watch it for yourself, but really the only apology he offers is to the Jewish kids who had to hear a "grown-up conversation."

Taylor Swift is joining the max exodus in Las Vegas ... flying out of the desert after her boyfriend Travis Kelce's big Super Bowl win.

The singer hopped on her private jet Monday for a short flight to Los Angeles ... and she was joined by good friend Blake Lively. We're hearing there might've been other stars in the mix as well -- but hard to make anyone out specifically ... including TayTay.

Taylor's team was definitely trying to shield her from the cameras behind a wall of black umbrellas as she climbed the stairs onto the plane ... we gotta say, blocking like this would make Jason Kelce proud!

Blake herself boarded the plane in a red outfit without too much fuss ... and one passenger had on a Kansas City Chiefs jacket. Just like how she arrived from Tokyo -- it was a straight cover-up attempt ... and considering everything that's been going on with her lately, we get it.

Anyhoo ... it's been a whirlwind 24 hours for her. Taylor, Travis and co. partied deep into the night after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in double overtime in Super Bowl LVIII for Travis' second straight championship ... and it looks like she's had her fill of Sin City.

After a short flight, Taylor and co. touched down at LAX ... where they hopped into a fleet of waiting SUVs and took off yet again. She's been getting dragged here and there a lot these past few days ... and Monday proved no different.

Taylor's travel ain't stopping here, BTW ... she's gotta be in Australia later this week for another string of 'Eras' tour shows -- so she'll be back on a plane in no time.

Grammy sweeper Killer Mike was loving every minute of Usher's Super Bowl halftime show ... because it put his beloved Atlanta's culture on the biggest stage!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Mike Monday in NYC ... he says he caught the big game during a flight yesterday, but Usher still had him A-town stomping at cruising altitude.

From the Magic City stripper poles and the custom Air Jordans to Ludacris and Lil Jon's inclusion, Usher made sure to represent ATL to the fullest, but it was his steamy duet with Alicia Keys that stole the show.

AK's husband, Swizz Beatz called out trolls who tried to read more into the performance than it was -- and Mike agrees.

The Run The Jewels rapper even gives Ursh the greenlight to dance with his wife nice and slow -- a little jealousy goes a long way in establishing security, at least, according to his logic.

Now that he's secured Rap Album of the Year with his "Michael" LP, he plans on keeping the train full steam ahead ... furthering the album's trilogy

Ice Spice cabreó a muchos con su aparición en el Super Bowl, ya que algunos relacionaron el colgante que llevaba con el mismísimo diablo. Sin embargo, Playboi Carti no quería generar ningún tipo de polémica.

La rapera fue vista durante la transmisión del partido del domingo y una buena cantidad de gente se fijó en el collar que llevaba en el palco de Taylor Swift y compañía, que (y para mucha gente) parecía una cruz al revés.

Por supuesto, hubo acusaciones de "adoración al diablo" y símbolos "demoníacos" mostrándose en televisión frente a millones de personas. Un gesto que hizo con la mano tampoco ayudó.

Resulta que no hay nada de impío en este colgante, al menos eso es lo que nos han dicho.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo le dicen a TMZ que la pieza fue diseñada por el joyero Alex Moss, y es solo un dulce pedazo de hielo sin ataduras diabólicas detrás de él. Nos dicen que el colgante está hecho de oro negro, un nuevo material que se ha desarrollado y que Alex está utilizando en una próxima colección. La cruz también tiene zafiros rosa por todas partes.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que Ice es la primera estrella de su calibre en tener este tipo de pieza en su poder y tiene que agradecerle a Carti por ello, nos dicen que en realidad se lo regaló no hace mucho tiempo.

Mientras que el tipo está ciertamente entusiasmado por la honda gótica en estos días, nuestras fuentes nos aseguran que no había nada satánico detrás del significado. Nos dicen que el diseño de la pieza es un esfuerzo de colaboración entre Alex y PBC.

Es dificil saber si la gente se lo creerá... pero esa es la explicación que nos han dado.

Francamente, ¿quién diablos sabe lo que hay en los corazones de la gente? Lo que podemos deducir de esto es que la cadena es bastante cool en todo caso.

De todos modos, es solo una más de muchas estrellas que han tenido que defenderse contra las acusaciones de hacer un trato con el príncipe de las tinieblas.

Ice Spice pissed off many with her appearance at the Super Bowl -- as some interpreted a pendant she wore as pure evil ... even though, Playboi Carti meant nothing by it.

Here's the deal ... the rapper was seen a lot during Sunday's broadcast of the game, and a good amount of folks noticed the chain/necklace she was wearing in the suite with Taylor Swift and co., which (to a lot of people) looked like an upside-down cross.

Of course, that got some pearl-clutchers up in arms ... with accusations of "devil worship" and "demonic" symbols being shown on TV in front of millions. A hand gesture she made at one point -- quiet coyote -- certainly didn't help either with the unholy accusations.

Welp, as it turns out ... there's nothing un-godly about this pendant at all -- at least that's what we're being told anyway.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that the piece was designed by celeb jeweler Alex Moss, and it's just a sweet piece of ice with no devil ties behind it whatsoever. We're told the pendant is made from black gold, a new material that's been developed and which Alex is using in a forthcoming collection this cross also has baby pink sapphires all throughout.

Our sources say Ice is the first star of her caliber to have this sort of piece in her possession -- and she has Carti to thank for it ... we're told he actually gifted it to her not too long ago.

While the dude is certainly known for his gothic/vampire vibes these days -- our sources assure us ... there was nothing satanic behind the meaning/design of the piece, which we're told was a collab effort between Alex and PBC.

Hard to tell if people will buy that ... but that's the explanation that's been provided to us.

Whether it leans toward the dark side or not -- 'cause frankly, who the hell knows what's in people's hearts -- what we can gather from this is ... the chain is freakin' dope, and it's rare.

Anyhoo ... it's just the latest star to fight off accusations of dancin' with the prince of darkness.

Los espectadores del Super Bowl se abalanzaron rápidamente sobre Alicia Keys por estropear una nota durante su actuación en el Halftime Show con Usher, pero ya se ha corregido el error.

Alicia desafinó un poco el domingo cuando comenzó a cantar "If I Ain't Got You" mientras tocaba el piano en el escenario, algo que la gente notó de inmediato y se burló de ella, aunque nunca lo sabrías si te perdiste el show en vivo.

La razón... el video oficial del espectáculo de Apple Music en el descanso del Super Bowl publicado en YouTube -que está colgado ahora mismo- eliminó claramente el pequeño error.

Escucha las comparaciones entre la actuación en directo y la versión publicada... parece que los editores han pulido la voz de Alicia. De hecho, no hay duda de que lo hicieron.

Ahora, no lo malinterpreten, esto no es una gran "conspiración" que involucra a la Liga Nacional de Fútbol como algunos han sugerido, es solo la NFL y Apple Music dándole una mano a Alicia.

Un montón de gente se está burlando de Alicia en redes sociales, por lo que los peces gordos que toman las decisiones aquí parecen estar lanzandole un salvavidas. Además, hay que suponer que quieren entregar el mejor producto posible, así que no es de extrañar en absoluto.

Dicho esto, todo el mundo va a recordar que Alicia necesitó un poco de magia de post-producción, ¡pero no hay daño, no hay falta, ella sigue siendo una cantante increíble!

Super Bowl viewers were quick to pounce on Alicia Keys for botching a note during her Halftime show performance with Usher ... but her voice crack has since been cleaned up.

Alicia was a little off-key Sunday when she started singing "If I Ain't Got You" while playing piano onstage -- something people very much so noticed immediately and mocked her over -- although, you wouldn't know it if you missed the live show on air during Super Bowl LVIII.

The reason ... the official Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show video published on YouTube -- which is up right now -- very clearly edited out the minor flub.

Take a listen to the comparisons between the live performance and the version posted on YT ... it certainly seems like editors went back and polished up Alicia's voice. In fact, there's almost no question they did -- as the difference between the two versions is noticeable.

Now, don't get it twisted ... this isn't some huge "conspiracy" involving the National Football League as some have suggested ... it's really just the NFL/Apple Music doing Alicia a solid.

Plenty of folks are already poking fun at Alicia on social media over this, so the bigwigs calling the shots here seem to be throwing AK a life raft. Plus, ya gotta figure they wanna put the best product available in the official version that lives on ... so it's not surprising at all.

With that said, everyone's gonna probably remember ... AK needed a little post-production magic when it's all said and done. No harm, no foul -- she's still an amazing singer!

Usher's moves from the Halftime show seamlessly floated on over to an after-party -- where he kept on skating ... only here, all eyes were on him and his (maybe?) new bride.

Super Bowl LVIII's headlining act hosted a star-studded bash in Las Vegas Sunday night after the big game ... and TMZ has obtained video of Usher cutting a rug on the dance floor, or on the roller rink, rather.

As you can see, Usher has his roller skates on and he's zipping around, doing some break dance moves ... all while looking pretty slick. Remember, Usher incorporated roller skating into his epic halftime performance, and he's keeping the good vibes going here as well.

The after-party went down at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace inside Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas, with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Diplo and Hardy.

Usher's party also recognized his new album, "Coming Home," and the 30th anniversary of Snoop and Dre's "Gin & Juice." So yeah, SD came out and spit some bars for his old pal.

Other big-time stars who showed up for the bash included ... Andra Day, Big Boy, Brent Faiyaz, Draymond Green, Flavor Flav, Flo Rida, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R, Jermaine Dupri, Justin Hartley, Leon Bridges, Lindsey Vonn, Luke Combs, Ludacris, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Megan Fox, Ne-Yo, Pauly Shore, Ray Ray McCloud III, Speedy Morman, TANK, Tiffany Haddish, Too Short, Tim Cook, Victoria Monet, Ying Yang Twins, will.i.am, Winnie Harlow, Zach Bia, and Zane Low ... just to name a few!

Now, eyewitnesses tell us Folks who were there tell us Usher rolled in around 1:40 AM and partied for about 80 minutes ... having fun with a bunch of different people, including his longtime partner, Jennifer Goicoechea, whom he's reported to have married this weekend.

As we reported, Usher and Jennifer obtained a marriage license in Clark County -- and some have suggested they've already tied the knot. If they did, they're keep it low-key for now.

The Flipper’s Skate brand worked with Usher to design the skates he and the skaters wore during the Super Bowl halftime show and to the after party. The skates dropped right after the half time show and you can buy the Flipper’s Quadz by Usher for yourself.

It's unclear or not if Usher and Jenn are, in fact, man and wife at this point -- the details of any purported wedding have surfaced just yet -- but they were being called "newlyweds" at this shindig.

In any case ... lots for Usher to celebrate, regardless. Super Bowl, new album, possible new wife and rave reviews.

Kanye West desembolsó una pequeña fortuna para tener algunos espacios publicitarios durante el Super Bowl y parece haber dado sus frutos... al menos según él.

Ye anunció su botín del domingo en las redes sociales para dar inicio a la nueva semana y las cifras de un solo día que está citando son bastante buenas, alrededor de $19 millones es lo que uno de los representantes de Yeezy.com dijo que facturaron después de su anuncio.

Publicó una captura de pantalla de un texto que aparentemente recibió, que desglosa qué artículos se vendieron y la cantidad de dólares. Hay 4 productos en particular que Kanye y compañía estaban tratando de vender. Productos tales como pantalones, tops, una camiseta y los pods YZY.

Los pods son básicamente calcetines futuristas plegables que se pueden usar como calzado real.

Curiosamente, Kanye parece haber tenido una gran venta en su sitio web. Estos artículos están todos a la venta por un mísero $20. Sí, incluso ahora, usted puede conseguirlos a ese precio.

Si estos números son exactos, entonces sí, parece que su "comercial" (si se puede llamar así) funcionó de maravilla.

Aporopósito, el tipo tuvo uno de los anuncios más básicos de todos los tiempos y que solo se emitió en algunos mercados durante la emisión de la Super Bowl y contó con Ye literalmente filmándose a sí mismo en la parte trasera de un carro y dando una explicación rápida de lo que estaba vendiendo.

Como hemos dicho, era realmente básico y, sin embargo, ¡funcionó!

Algunos están llamando a Ye un genio del marketing y otros dicen que el tipo todavía tiene una base de clientes que va a comprar sus cosas incluso después de todo lo que ha dicho y hecho.

Kanye West shelled out a small fortune for some ad space during the Super Bowl -- in a limited capacity, anyway -- and it seems to have paid off ... at least according to him.

Ye announced his haul from Sunday on social media to kick off the new week -- and single-day figures that he's citing are pretty good ... around $19 million is what one of his reps says Yeezy.com made after his stripped-down SB spot.

He posted a screenshot of a text he apparently received, which breaks down what items were sold and the dollar amount for each. There's 4 different products that KW and co. were really pushing, it seems, and those include a top, pants, a T-shirt and YZY pods.

The pods are basically foldable futuristic socks that you can wear as actual footwear.

Funny enough, Kanye seems to have had a great sale on his website ... these items he's hawking are all on sale for a measly $20. Yep ... even now, you can get 'em at that price.

If these numbers are accurate -- then yeah ... Kanye low-key cleaned up on his inventory ... and it would appear his "commercial" (if you can call it that) actually worked wonders.

ICYMI ... the dude had one of the most bare-bones ads of all time -- which only aired in certain markets during the Super Bowl broadcast -- and it featured Ye literally filming himself in the back of a car, selfie-style, and giving a quick explainer of what he was selling.

Like we said, it was as basic as it could be -- and yet, it seems to have done the job!

Some are calling Ye a marketing genius over this ... and others are grumbling that the dude still has a customer base that'll buy his stuff -- even after everything he's said/done by now.

Usher resembled something out of "Space Jam" during part of his Super Bowl thanks to his futuristic Air Jordan 4's -- an emergency addition to his glitzy wardrobe!!!

Dominic "The Surgeon" Ciambrone had to spring into action 48 hours before Usher hit the stage ... we are told Jordan Brand had given the R&B megastar only one prototype of the silver metallic sneaker but was unable to get him the other shoe time for Super Bowl over delays due to Lunar New Year.

Usher reached out to Dominic to recreate all the materials of the kicks ... which fuse the chrome finish atop mirrored textiles and blue compliments ... which, he did in under 48 hours after taking 11 cracks at redesigning the shoe to get it perfect!!!

Dominic tells us Jordan Brand and Usher whipped up the design inspired by the "Confessions" singer's universal space theme.

Upon completion, Dom handcuffed himself to the briefcase containing the coveted kicks and hightailed it to Vegas on a last-minute flight Sunday to hand-deliver them.

No shocker that Kim Kardashian locked down a luxury suite at the Super Bowl, and even had it filled with A-listers -- but what is surprising is how NOT lit it was compared to Taylor Swift's.

The photos showing off their respective suites are out, and we gotta say ... the KarJenner box -- at least for some parts of the game -- comes across as a little bit of a snooze fest when ya see the lively scene in T-Swift's area.

Check out the pics for yourself and we'll let you decide which suite feels like the better time.

In Kim's suite, there are people slumped over and leaning on their hands as if they're just running out the clock -- and one dude in there looks like he's about to take a long nap.

The opposite vibe was happening across the way at Tay Tay's suite ... where Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Miles Teller and a few other stars were losing their minds and celebrating a ton. Of course, Taylor herself was leading the charge on the partying ... pounding beers, etc.

Kim's suite was just as star-studded, of course, with Justin and Hailey Bieber and other KarJenner sisters, Russell Wilson and Ciara, La La Anthony, Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Winnie Harlow and Michael Rubin all attending, but things looked sorta quiet.

Now, this ain't a competition or anything -- but the differences are notable because of the history of bad blood between Taylor and Kim ... which, as we recently learned, is still fresh on T-Swift's mind, something she commented on in her TIME Person of the Year cover story.

As we reported ... Taylor said she still feels like Kanye/Kim were wrong over the whole 2016 recorded-convo thing -- and even today, it sounds like she'd appreciate an apology.